Feng Shui For Beginners

Feng shui for beginners will draw you into a fascinating world that combines elements of Asian culture with psychology and decorating. Applying the principles of feng shui is said to bring better health and fortune to the people who live in a house or work in a building.

Feng shui is pronounced “fung shway,” which literally means air and water. The intended meaning is the relationship between air and water, which in turn gives us the concept of “chi.” Chi is energy, made up of positive and negative forces – yin and yang – male and female. Things are good when they are in balance between yin and yang forces. Feng shui for beginners works on the very simplest concepts of the flow of chi through one’s house. More experienced practitioners understand how a positive flow of chi can become negative, and vice-versa.

Feng Shui History

Feng shui began in ancient China and was known as Hin Shi between 200 AD and 700 AD. By the 13th century, Arab traders brought the theories of Feng Shui to the West. From there, feng shui has developed into a complex system with multiple variations.

There are three main kinds of feng shui. Two of them are the “Traditional” forms, and one is considered “Western,” or “modern.” Shapes and Forms is a traditional method, mainly concerned with the land surrounding one’s home. The Compass is the other traditional method, concerned with the direction the house faces and its relationship to those living in the house based on Chinese numerology.

The Black Hat school or “Black Sect” is a modern method which is supposedly more applicable to Western culture, as it is based less on traditional Asian lore and more on the intuition of the practitioner. The traditionalists believe the modernists risk disaster with their approach to feng shui, while the modernists consider many traditionalist beliefs to be of little more help than superstitions.

Feng Shui Facts – Did You Know?

Feng shui is known to have five elements which are air, fire, earth, water and wood.

Feng shui can be summarized as an interaction of elements and energy, like the interaction of fire and water, or of life and death.

Feng shui was suppressed in China during the cultural revolution of the 1960’s, but has since seen an increase in popularity – particularly in the United States.

Applying feng shui in your life can involve candles, architecture, symbols or even some ceremonies.

Getting Started With Feng Shui For Beginners

Blocked chi and other negative elements cause difficulties in life, or at the very least prevent things from being as good as they could be. You should begin by determining what aspect of your life could use improvement. Be honest about the problem and honest in your intent to solve it.

The aspects of your life to consider will fall into the nine categories of: career, romance, fame, health, family, wealth, creativity, wisdom, and guidance. These nine categories are arranged in a “bagua” – an octagon with each side representing a category of life and all meeting at the center – the center of the bagua represents balance.

Feng shui for beginners need not be expensive. A compass, a tape measure, a notebook and pen, and a basic online how-to guide are enough to get started. In time, you might invest in items to repair chi such as crystals, wind chimes, fountains, aquariums, or even Chinese foo dogs.

It doesn’t take long at all to do a basic Western feng shui analysis, assuming yours is an average-sized house. You measure the rooms and do a reasonably accurate drawing of your home’s floor plan, and then overlay it with a bagua. From there, you can follow a guideline and learn which rooms influence which areas of your life. You can also lay a bagua over each room to see which area applies to each element.

A simple Traditional approach uses a compass to determine the direction the main door faces, and a “lo shu square” is overlaid on the floor plan like a bagua. You can even use charts to determine the “kua” number of each member of the household, which will then show which rooms make the best bedrooms or studies for each family member.

How to Apply Feng Shui For Beginners

Step One

One of the very first things to do no matter which Feng Shui practice you follow is to clean and get rid of clutter, which can obstruct the flow of chi. All items in a home have life and they need to contribute to the positive flow of chi. Just the simple act of uncluttering a room can be enough to change your luck! You also should get good quality air and light in your house. These are two elements that are crucial to feng shui.

Step Two

Look for related functions. Feng shui tells you that the flow of chi in your house is related to an outcome, such as the southwest area of your house being related to the flow of money in your home. Even if you have to write down the relations you see in order to remember them and take action, it is a good practice to undertake. You should expect quite a bit of dissonance to exist when you first start, as people do not typically organize according to feng shui principles accidentally. It is only when you are purposing to create balance that your home will begin taking on peace and a good chi flow.

Step Three

Study various parts of feng shui. It’s not all about doing things, but feng shui involves study and application of the various elements into your life. Research specifics. Look into particular items that relate to your feng shui such as your number, sign, and symbol. Once you do this, you can incorporate them into your living space to further create a feeling of balance and harmony.

Step Four

Be aware. Feng Shui requires that you are always aware of your life, your balance, and your home. This awareness will lead to a greater understanding and awareness of feng shui. It will also lead to a better understanding of yourself and your own inner need for balance. Once you have applied these principles to your home, you can begin applying them in other areas of your life, such as your work and your other hobbies.

Feng Shui Tips and Tricks

There are many books and classes in feng shui for beginners, and it is fascinating to learn the many different ways to approach this philosophy/art/hobby. Here are a few tips to consider…

Whichever feng shui method you choose to use or follow, begin with a clean, uncluttered house, and do a lot of soul-searching to identify the most pressing difficulty in your life that you wish to fix.

If you just don’t quite get it, you can always hire people to help you through the feng shui process. You won’t have to search hard to find a qualified feng shui consultant.

Most consultants will tell you that feng shui is about an all-encompassing balance in your life rather than simple fixes to your home or office. In addition to improving the energy in your home, you’ll also need to focus inward and look at your own attitudes, energy, and outlook towards yourself and others.

Expanding on Feng Shui

As you become more comfortable with practicing feng shui, here are a few ideas that can help you take this spiritual hobby to a higher level…

Feng shui is used in landscapes and commercial buildings as well as in homes. Applying feng shui principles to the garden and yard around your home can change the flow of chi and effectively ward off negative elements from traffic and other nearby buildings and structures. Commercial offices also often use feng shui to improve worker productivity and satisfaction.

Look to people who are more knowledgeable than you are with feng shui. Explore and share what you find and what is revealed to you. Ask them about their experiences. Discussing feng shui can be a wonderful social and spiritual outlet.

Look for new opportunities to implement feng shui in your life such as the bedroom, office, car and even other areas.

Expand your focus for balance and take up a new hobby such as yoga or meditation.

Related Feng Shui Resources

The following online resources can help you learn more about feng shui for beginners…

Fast Feng Shui – this is a great resource with various products for a range of feng shui hobbyists and interest levels.